Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Fuller.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It feels like it was a lot longer ago than this, but it was just a few years ago that I was working in Corporate America and I was getting increasingly frustrated with my career.
One day in particular stands out in my mind; there was a branch meeting when everyone filed into a huge room at the office. My boss at the time stood up in front of the whole group and presented “his idea” to the room. Everyone nodded their head in agreement that this was a great idea. The problem I had with this was not that I thought it was a bad idea, but that it was actually not his idea…it was my idea. I had shared the idea with him in private a week earlier and he told me it was a dumb idea and to move on. A week later, he was presenting the idea to everyone as his idea. My boss was a pretty vindictive person so I was used to getting angry at this sort of thing, but this time instead of being angry, I was genuinely sad. The rest of the day, I was picturing spending the next few decades in Corporate America, navigating office politics, fake-laughing at my boss’s dumb jokes as he stabbed me in the back, and generally taking the path of least resistance at all times. The thought made me sick.
That was the beginning of what would eventually become Mosquito Hunters. I didn’t know anything about mosquitoes or home services or franchising at the time, but I wanted to build something that I could start with the very little money I had and could scale into something much bigger. I liked the mosquito business because it has high gross margins, recurring revenue (because the mosquitoes keep coming back), the industry is growing, the startup cost was low, and – most importantly – I wanted to put my energy into something that I owned, rather than work hard to make my bosses rich without receiving any reward or credit.
Now Mosquito Hunters is franchising and more people are getting out of frustrating careers to start their own businesses using the Mosquito Hunters model. Today, we’re active in five states and counting.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I started running Mosquito Hunters as a semi-absentee owner. I kept my “day job” for two years while building the business model and learning how to franchise the concept, which helped me keep the lights on while I cut my teeth. That’s why Mosquito Hunters is a good option today for our franchise partners who want to be semi-absentee owners that also own another business or want to keep their corporate day job.
From learning how to properly find customers to laying the groundwork for our phone sales center, I got a lot of bumps & bruises while figuring out how to optimize the profitability of the model. Last year, we got our gross profit margin up to 69%, but that was after making a lot of mistakes in the first year or two.
One time early on, a Technician started spraying a Client’s yard before notifying the Client he was there. The Client was about to grill some steaks, and had left some raw sirloins sitting out while the grill was heating up. Our Technician didn’t realize this and some of our product got onto the meat. That was not a fun conversation to have with the Client, but he did get some free steaks that night. From then on, each Client gets notified via email & phone both the day before the treatment and the day of the treatment…plus the Technician always rings the doorbell now!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mosquito Hunters story. Tell us more about the business.
Mosquito Hunters is a service that helps keep mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks out of your yard all season long. Our treatments are kid-friendly, pet-friendly, plant-friendly, but not friendly to mosquitoes, fleas, or ticks. We’re proud to stand behind our Client Happiness Promise, which means that if ever you’re not happy, we will re-treat your yard free of charge within the 21 day period after each initial treatment for any reason, with no questions asked. As we often say, we’re not in the mosquito business, we’re in the loyalty business.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
To me, it’s important to appreciate the luck you’ve had while also planning to never be lucky ever again. I’m lucky that I was raised by two parents that love me and taught me the importance of things like integrity and hard work. I’m lucky to have a wife that loves me unconditionally and never complains about having a husband with entrepreneurial (sometimes self-indulgent) wiring.
When I think about it in the scheme of things, I’m very lucky to be living in this country, in this day and age, with running water, internet, and Spotify.
At the same time, I think it’s important to take action as if your luck could run out at any moment. Without losing too much focus, I realize that poor health, a bad economy, or other unlucky things like that can happen anytime, so I’m trying to make the most of what’s in front of me, while I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mosquitohunters.com
- Phone: 8479153434
- Email: info@mosquitohunters.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/mosquitohunters
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mosquito-hunters-northbrook
- Other: www.mosquitohuntersfranchise.com
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
